Ricky Stuart’s Raiders clinched the 2025 minor premiership with a win over the Tigers — but anything beyond that is simply a “great bonus” for his talented side.
Canberra were tipped by many to be competing for the wooden spoon this season, with a wealth of young and upcoming guns thrust into the action alongside some budding stars.
Ethan Strange, Kaeo Weekes, Savelio Tamale and Jed Stuart have been nothing short of excellent this year, while an experienced contingent of stars have led the way.
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Speaking in the post-match press conference, Stuart made it clear that whatever happens in the upcoming finals series — their 2025 season has been a success.
“The mentality is, whatever they get out of these finals experiences is just going to be an asset for the next three, four years,” he said.
“We’ve got 90 per cent of this group signed up for the next three to four seasons… Joe (Tapine) has played international football, Papa (Papalii) has played Origin, Red (Horsburgh) has played Origin, Hudson (Young) has played Origin.
“They are used to this exciting part of the season, they have played finals… what the younger players will get going forward is going to be such a benefit the next three to four years.
“The thing I like about it now is it’s easy coaching it because there’s no pressure on us.
‘We’re not meant to be here, no one thought we were going to be anywhere near the pointy end of the competition.
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“I understand that, that’s just opinion and I’m not being disrespectful, but there’s no pressure on us going forward. Whatever happens over the next five, six weeks is just a great bonus.”
But despite the Raiders have cause for celebration, Stuart still wasn’t happy with the way his side’s 24-10 win was officiated.
He was quizzed on his side’s performance, responding: “We weren’t good today, it was a very messy game of footy. You make of that what you need to”.
Stuart was then pressed on the ruck, which sparked Stuart to send a message to the NRL and rivals alike.
“It was awful, which is what I am alluding to,” Stuart explained.
“I wasn’t going to say anything but you’ve obviously seen it too. If the semi final football is going to be that quality of ruck interpretation we will change our whole game.
“We won’t be playing any free-flowing, flamboyant type of football. By me saying that now it will want to make everyone make the ruck really dirty and make it a s****y spectacle.
“But if that’s the way it’s going to be we will change it completely, and we have got the ability to.”
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He also expressed his angst at a pair of “cannonball” tackles by Tigers players on Simi Sasagi and Joseph Tapine.
“Those cannonballs, they are coming back into play. They have got to be jumped on today,” Stuart said.
“There was two today, you can’t lead with your shoulder into the legs and I can’t believe the Bunker getting it wrong on Joe’s either.
“You can’t lead with your shoulder, you need to have a wrapping action. I don’t want to put a downer on the night, but you asked the question.
“That could have put Simi’s season at risk, imagine that? If you have a look at the technique of that, that wasn’t going in to make a tackle.
“And you’re only going in there for one reason like that.”
